To date, various exercise apparatus have been developed which facilitate in-door walking, running and/or striding type motions (hereinafter, collectively “striding”), i.e., motions in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction without requiring the exerciser to actually change their present location. Examples of such devices include, but are not limited to, treadmills, elliptical trainers (which are generally designed to mimic a running motion while reducing the impact of running upon joints and other devices) and other like devices. Further, various exercise apparatus have been developed which facilitate and/or simulate stair climbing, stepping (as in rolling steps), and/or climbing type motions (hereinafter, collectively “stepping”), i.e., motions in a vertical or substantially vertical direction without requiring the exerciser to actually change their vertical position or physical location. Also, to date an exercise apparatus has been developed which combines striding and stepping type motions into a single physical motion.
Further, while various systems and processes have been developed for controlling, for example, the operation of a treadmill (for striding) or a STAIRMASTER (for stepping), to date there is a need for a control system and process for controlling the features and functions of an exercise apparatus which combines substantially horizontal (i.e., striding) type motions with substantially vertical (i.e., stepping) type motions. Additionally, there is a need for a system and process for determining the amount of energy exerted by an exerciser using a combined striding and stepping motion.